The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-09-30

VINO lnfSHL enter.
1t was a woman. She was pale, and |
seemed tremulous and tender. Sha !
wore faded calico dress, scarcely Wis |
bile beneath long-bodied, badly fit |
ting, thread-bare cloak. On her head |
was faded brown or gray shawl,
which she held there with one bOny
hand, while the other grasped the door
knob. No one spoke, while she seemed
to be taking each one of us in separate
lyi then, with look of disappoint-
ment, she made a movement as if to go
out, when the servant stepped forward
and said: Come in, Mrs. Hold%."
els Henry here" she asked. The
girl not appearing to know, one OF the
men answered:
'He didn't come down, Mrs. Holder;
he stayed at the camp.
She turned, stepped out into the
snow and closed the door after her.
Shortly after dark the mercury began
to fall-or would have begun, had
there been any at that place to begin
with, which much doubt; but it grew
colder very fast. The fine, sandy snow
sifted in Mt every crack and crevice of
the badly constructed and rickety
houses of the village. and, drifting
against the fences, it made impossible
barriers in the mountain passes and
roads
It was a wild night. and ! still re-
member it wildly. l was shown to an
old-fashioned bed, in an old-fashiOned
room. Upon the bed were piled al
most enough blankets to smother me,
thought, but toward the end of the
night, / found it impossible to keep
warm, and rose earlier than l other
\ wise should have done. Having
dressed, l CROPPED my way down the
dark stairway and through the chilly
| dining-room, to the bar-room, where
the fire made it more comfortable.
found Roscoe sitting by the great stove
and rs soon as l stepped in he told mt
that he had n caller.
Rather cool for callers so early, ism
ii?'' I asked.
just what thought when he came
in, was his reply. at was man a
lives next to Holders. He says there
been a bright light Albumin all nigh
in Holders house, an they don
believe Mrs. Holders been there sine
I she left, about four o'clock last night
and come up here. He said they cOul
see the bed where they usually slept
and it was all made up. That led Ell
to try the door. and iindin' it unlocked
they went in and found the house cold
and no sign of any one hayin' bee
there all night; at least, none 'cept tn
lamp. and that might a burnt all nigh
, vou know My opinion is that she
stayin' at one of the neighbor's, thong
she never would leave the house {
nights before"
; Before nine o'clock that mornin
every one in the village knew that til
7 lumberman's wife was missing, an
many were the opinions as to he
$ whereabouts. 1t was reported tn;
, some one had seen a portion of
2 woman's dress sticking out of snow
l drift in the outskirts of the town; hl
= the person who had seen it could M
e be found.
c One thing was certain, howeve
Mrs. Holder was not in the villag
n After the stormy night of drifting sno
g there were no tracks to follow, and l
l one could suggest a plausible theory
n to where she had gone; except tina
e perhaps. tired and disgusted at II
&c husbands neglect, she had conelud,
2, to 90 to some of her relatives.
al A party. composed of the landlO
T. and two others, traversed the who
'r village, inquired at every hous
searched her own, and entered eve
re stable and shed, but not n trace of h
st could be found. Days, weeks a
months passed, and the mystery W
re still unsolved.
'd Holder himself arrived during t
IT, dav, and went directly home, not bel
n aware that his wife had disappear
o until his neighbors had informed hi
ne He had made his way home with gr'
n. difficulty. and was almost worn {
from fatigue and exposure. He seem
mp greatly shocked upon receiving the
w. teIlioence of his wife's disappearan
n but made no effort to trace her.
We When the weather had becO
warmer and the snow had disappear
us we began work among the pines. II
OF der went to an adjoining town, VIII
'g his brother lived and stayed with b
III a few weeks, helping in a mill VIII
1T; his brother owned. But he soon drift
et hack TO NJ, and in June he came
he, our camp and asked for work. As
| Ct was a skilled mechanic, 1 hired hin
ne once and reiustated him in his
ne place among the wOrkmen.
His companions told me he was 1
nv sour and morose, whereas, before
t.e wife had deserted him, he had gene
II IN been cheerful and light-hear
ne, He would have nothing 10 say nj
- her to his fellows. One day in the
-" about the middle of September
think-he notified me that he inten
~ stopping work the last of the MOI
q" and expected his wages by that tim
~, full.
liu l told him that | should be sorry
'iu' lose him, rs indeed ! was, for he
- been a faithful workman under
on but that if he wished it I would
'"e him ut the time mentioned. l
VI asked him where he was going, he
~ swered that he had not yet deci'
-. When he got ready he would start
w he said. and 90 on until he got ii
and then stop.
49, Thinking that he might have
I, ~ some clew as to the whereabouts OF
wife. | took the opportunity of asi
ns' him concerning her. He bitterly
~ piled that he knew nothing about
I III, and wanted 10 know nothing; she
~" deserted him. he said, and he Wi
never to see her again.
~, True" he added, ''my habits
,,en none of the best. but ] always prov
~. for her: whatever else she may :;